1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus and method, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for eliminating an afterimage state occurring on a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) can be used in personal computers, workstations, and televisions. The LCD scans a liquid crystal display panel according to a video signal and displays a still picture or moving picture on the liquid crystal display panel. The LCD does not react to a video signal very quickly, and thus, an afterimage of a previous still screen which was present for a long time, such as a screen displaying text, remains when the previous still screen is changed into another screen.
As text broadcasting has been increasing since the beginning of the multimedia age, television broadcasting requires high still picture quality as well as high moving picture quality.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of an exemplary computer to explain a screen saver. Referring to FIG. 1, the computer includes an external inputting unit 100 such as a mouse or keyboard, a main frame 111, and a monitor 112. The monitor 112 is a display device comprised of a cathode-ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD). A microprocessing unit (MPU) 111-1 of the main frame 111 sends a video signal stored in a memory 111-2 to a video signal processing unit 111-3 which processes the video signal and sends it back to the MPU 111-1 which then outputs the processed video signal to the monitor 112, thereby preventing an afterimage state if there is no input for a certain time after the key inputting unit 100, such as a mouse or keyboard, is checked when controlling the monitor 112.
A screen saver function is included in the exemplary computer so as to prevent an afterimage state. A system or software for preventing such an afterimage state is not implemented in a television using an LCD. Text broadcasting as well as moving picture broadcasting is increasing, and thus, a system or software for solving the afterimage state in a television using an LCD is required.